Football Bengals finally sign holdout top pick Smith

[GotGibson?]

The Bengals have finally signed top draft pick Andre Smith after a long contract impasse that became a subject of derision among teammates.

The Bengals had originally planned to have Smith start at right tackle, but he has missed all of training camp and three preseason games. They confirmed his signing Sunday on their Web site shortly before the start of practice.

Smith, the sixth overall pick, was the highest unsigned NFL pick with one week left in the preseason. The Bengals had insisted on paying him less than a player taken later in the draft, Oakland's Darrius Heyward-Bey. HBO's "Hard Knocks" episode last Wednesday showed teammates mocking Smith's weight during the team's annual rookie skits.

 

[tlw9191]

Thanks for the copy and paste.

 

[GotGibson?]

No problem.

 

[bjtheman1]

They shouln't have signed him at all, I can't stand rookies who holdout like that

 

[cwells52]

:woo:

 

[HiEnd]

& here's your karma for holding out fatso

CINCINNATI -- Rookie right tackle Andre Smith broke his foot during practice, only two days after he ended his holdout with the Cincinnati Bengals. He will be sidelined at least a few weeks.

The first-round draft pick sustained a small fracture in his left foot during a noncontact drill Tuesday, his third workout with the team. Coach Marvin Lewis said the injury won't require surgery.

Smith was the sixth overall pick, and the Bengals expected him to start at right tackle. His contract impasse forced him to miss the first three preseason games and cost him the chance to win a starting job in training camp. He agreed to a four-year deal Sunday